Sen. Tyler Harper: Update from the Capitol

Your Georgia Desk

HARPER: Update from the Capitol

Another week has come and gone at the State Capitol as we continue our march towards the last day of the 2015 Legislative Session. This week was one that saw the senate pass several pieces of important legislation aimed keeping Georgia the best state to call home. We also had the honor of recognizing many upstanding Georgia citizens, many whom call Senate District 7 home.

With 2015 Legislative Session in full swing, I would like to share with you some of the highlights of the past two weeks:

The Georgia Senate unanimously passed SB 5, which amends legal language relating to the Georgia Ports Authority’s ability to accept federal loans in Georgia’s effort to deepen the Savannah Port. This is just one more step toward making one of Georgia’s best economic-development engines even more prosperous. We must continue invest in this essential project to ensure economic growth and employment opportunities in this great state for generations to come.

The General Assembly has set its working calendar for the rest of the session, which rarely gets done so early in a legislative year. I want to applaud the leadership in the General Assembly not only for being decisive about our schedule, but ensuring that we are a citizen legislature sent to carry out our limited responsibilities then return home to our districts. The resolution set Sine Die, legislative day 40, for Thursday April 2nd, which is just before the Easter holiday.

I sponsored and led the passage of Senate Bill 62, my first piece of legislation for the 2015 Legislative Session. Under current law, probate courts only have jurisdiction over Game and Fish Code misdemeanor violations. SB 62 would grant probate courts full jurisdiction over all game and fish violations.

The Senate agreed to minor differences between the House and Senate versions of House Bill 75, the Amended Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, in a vote of 50 to 1. HB 75 was immediately transmitted to Governor Deal for his signature. The Amended FY 2015 budget includes $21.1 billion based on reported tax revenue growth of 3.6% over FY 2014 collections. The revenue increase includes additional funding for K-12 education growth, as well as public health care initiatives.

We passed a resolution proclaiming May 6-12, 2015 as the 40th observance of the ending of the Vietnam War. The Senate stood in solidarity as they honored Vietnam War veterans and their families with a moment of silence. More than 228,000 Georgians served during the Vietnam War and we must never forget their sacrifices for the freedoms we hold so dear.

We recognized February 19, 2015 as Georgia Farm Bureau Federation Day at the State Capitol. The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, with more than 300,000 members, is Georgia’s largest agricultural organization and is dedicated to promoting the agricultural industry throughout the state. Agribusiness is the single greatest contributor to our state economy and I was proud to stand with so many fellow farmers under the Gold Dome, many of which joined us in Atlanta from District 7.

We also declared February 19, 2015 as University of Georgia Day at the State Capitol and congratulated the University on its 230^th anniversary. As a graduate of UGA, it was an honor to stand with my fellow legislators as we celebrated the first state-chartered university in America’s history. UGA educates more than 35,000 students and leads the nation in providing an exceptional education at an affordable cost. This is truly one of my favorite days at the State Capitol and I look forward to welcoming my fellow bulldawgs back next year!

Lastly, I would like to thank all of the superintendents who took time out of their busy schedule to visit us in Atlanta. Okefenokee RESA serves 8 counties in South East Georgia and provides access to shared services designed to improve the effectiveness of educational programs, services, and provides instructional programs directly to selected public schools. We are blessed to have world class educational professional in our districts that are dedicated to the betterment of all our children.

I am humbled you have placed your faith in me to represent the constituents of District 7 at the Georgia State Capitol. Please feel free to contact my office at any time to talk about pending legislation or address other concerns in our district – my door and phone lines are always open. I encourage groups who are interested in visiting the Capitol to call my office at 404.463.5263 to set up a date and time. I look forward to personally welcoming you to the Capitol!